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What do you do when your bike is perfect?

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What do you do when your bike is perfect?

Old 09-21-19, 06:11 PM
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Helderberg
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What do you do when your bike is perfect?



Ride it!

I have made the necessary changes in my Quick 3 so as to adapt to my limitations so what is left, Ride it as much as I can. I have lost a considerable amount of saddle time this year do to unforeseen surcumdtanceses but will be closing on 1000 miles soon. I realize that that total for a year is nothing to 90% of the people here but for me it is an accomplishment. Stay safe all and get out and ride when ever you can. You never know when it will come to an end and something will slam the door on your time and or ability to get out.
Frank.

Last edited by Helderberg; 09-23-19 at 08:30 AM.
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Old 09-21-19, 09:10 PM
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AlmostTrick
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If you have that itch to work on a bike maybe find another one to work on. It doesn't have to be fancy.
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Old 09-21-19, 10:37 PM
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Start working on your next perfect bike?
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Old 09-22-19, 06:26 AM
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Lemond1985
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When a bike is finally set up "perfect", that's when I decide the frame is too big/too small/needs a repaint, so I strip it down to the frame and turn my attention to another prettier bike. And repeat the same process all over again.
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Old 09-22-19, 07:31 AM
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I have a Taoist informed life with a Decision Science degree... so wielding what I can reasonably afford in a way to meet the ever changing existence we live in....

Almost "perfect" on the 1995 Frankentrek 800 Sport. By weekday, a sturdy 9 speed commuter with Explorer rack and waterproof bags, Topeak luggage bag added in winter.

Though my wonderful wife of 7 years only ocassionally rides, and hates camping, I have almost finished mods on a pair of Blackburn fronts to attach to low riders.... This may equal my perfection, as I can rec ride, commute, tour, camp, and (if life goes deep south in any number of ways) have a "bug out" bike for myself and wife. If I get my happiest, foreseeable future, then it will serve me well in touring europe/France during a modest retirement.... Just finished 5000 recorded commute miles, on Frankentrek, since August 2014!
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Old 09-22-19, 07:32 AM
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Keep riding & look for another one to make "perfect." And another way to look at riding 1000 miles is that 1000 miles is more than what 90% (or 99%) of the people in the US will ride in a year...
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Old 09-22-19, 08:22 AM
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Most of my bikes have mismatched components which disqualifies them from cycling perfection to many.

I do work on fit constantly - I find my setups changing as I get older. The bike I built as a 19 year old racer doesn't fit as well in my 30, 40s.....

Personally, I think saddle height is the most important detail to nail. 1mm can make an OK bike come alive.
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Old 09-22-19, 10:42 AM
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What do you do when your bike is perfect?

A: Wash it and go for a ride.
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Old 09-22-19, 06:03 PM
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Bikes are my hobby -- I like building them as much as I do riding them -- nothing's ever "done". :-)

This is why I like C&V (classic and vintage) bikes. There's always something to do, and there are so many ways to take a project. I'm riding my two steel bikes more than I am my modern aluminum bikes lately. I haven't ridden my Roam or my MTB in weeks -- it's all my 1997 Trek and 1970 Peugeot.
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Old 09-22-19, 06:13 PM
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Cool

Originally Posted by AlmostTrick
If you have that itch to work on a bike maybe find another one to work on. It doesn't have to be fancy.
Mine needs some work.
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Old 09-23-19, 06:03 AM
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1000 miles is good! The OP is way ahead of where I'm at for the year.
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Old 09-24-19, 03:31 AM
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subgrade
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Originally Posted by JonathanGennick
1000 miles is good! The OP is way ahead of where I'm at for the year.
I'm currently on 3420 mi / 5500 km for this year. The 6000 km goal is in reach already; I reckon I'll overshoot it quite a bit, if nothing bad happens. Need to do one more metric century to tick all boxes (goal was at least one imperial cetury + 4 metric centuries).
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Old 09-26-19, 10:58 AM
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Go find a vintage 70's steel frame road bike and go down that rabbit hole (personal experience)...
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Old 09-26-19, 11:59 AM
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Originally Posted by camjr
Go find a vintage 70's steel frame road bike and go down that rabbit hole (personal experience)...
Extra points if it's French! (As is your Moto...)

(Full disclosure: my 1970 Peugeot is one of my favorite bikes, and offers one of the best rides I've ever had on a bike. 1970s French bikes offer a unique ride due to their geometry, but there are definitely challenges to restoring, modifying, or even sustaining them. For a glimpse of what that's all about, the late, great, Sheldon Brown has a web page on just that topic (for the uninitiated).
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Old 09-26-19, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by hokiefyd
Extra points if it's French! (As is your Moto...)

(Full disclosure: my 1970 Peugeot is one of my favorite bikes, and offers one of the best rides I've ever had on a bike. 1970s French bikes offer a unique ride due to their geometry, but there are definitely challenges to restoring, modifying, or even sustaining them. For a glimpse of what that's all about, the late, great, Sheldon Brown has a web page on just that topic (for the uninitiated).
Exactly. The ride is exquisite. I still put about 75-100 miles on it a month.
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